Leading in Inspirational Ways
Teverystereotypicalleadershipandproved successfulineveryfield.AccordingtoDeloitte Global,onaverage,33%ofwomen'srepresentation contributestothetechnologicalworkforce.Additionally,the percentageofwomenintechismuchlargeraroundthe globe,andtheeffortstoempowerwomenaresurely showingresults.Womeninthetechindustryhavedoneit all,frombuildinghardwaretodevelopingsoftwareand discoveringapps.Thiscanalsobelinkedtobetteraccessto technologyandeducationforwomeninthelastdecade.
sthewomenofthe21 centuryhaverisenabove
Businesswomenarealwayssearchingforopportunitiesfor others,learningtoembracethetransformationinthe industry,andhaveadaptedwellbytakinguptheleadership positionstoday Theyfeelproudoftheirworkandare alwayshonestwiththeteamandtheorganization.Because ofthesequalities,peopletrustandfollowthewomen leaders.
Thebestpartofwomen'sleadershipisthattheyalwayslook atthebrightsideofthings,andthesameapproachisseenin theirleadership.Someoftheothertraitstheirleadership includesarelookingforalternatives,helpingtheteam,and beinggreatathandlingwork-lifebalance.Theroleofthe organizationsisalsocrucialhereforcreatingan environmentthathelpsthewomencontributetheirbest.
Todaythereisn'tasinglejobwhereawomancannot workandlead;theyareshootingatthestarsand creatingabelieftoachievethingsforothers.From creatinghistorytoleadingthechangingworld, womenhavealwaysbeenasourceofinspiration. Theyhaveshowntheworldwhatitmeanstobelieve inyourselftimeandagain.Thisinspiredusalot,and thatiswhyweatInsightsSuccesscelebratethe achievementsofwomenintheircareerchoicesand peopletogetinspiredwith“The 10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022.”
Somethingswilldropoutofthepubliceyeandgo away,buttherewillalwaysbestoriesandarticlesto tell,soflipyourpagestoreadaboutcreativearticles thatwillenlightenyouabouttheindustryongoings.
AlexiVenneri. Co-founderandCEO
EllenVoie CEOandPresident
JennifferBreitenstein CMO KellieHarrison VPofClientServices KimMolkoski VPBusiness Development
KarenViera GlobalChiefPeople Officer
MirandaMcCarthy Founder
MarinaTognetti
FounderandCEO
NermineKhouzam Rubin
FounderandCEO
SikiGiunta Exec.VP&Head
SusanneSkovDiemer
FounderandCEO
SumanBala TestArchitect
DigitalAirStrike digitalairstrike.com
WomenInTrucking
DigitalAirStrikehelpsbusinessesengagewithconsumers onlinewithtargetedads,more5-starreviews,customsocial mediamarketing,patentedleadresponse,andA.I.powered intelligentmessaging.
WomenInTruckingAssociationisanon-profitorganization withthemissiontoencouragetheemploymentofwomeninthe truckingindustry
OnPointWarranty onpointwarranty.com
Church'sChicken churchs.com
AdaptiveYogaLIVE adaptiveyogalive.com
mYngle myngle.com
Water4Mercy water4mercy.org
HCLTechnologies hcltech.com
PraesidioGroup praesidiogroup.com
OnPointhelpsglobalbrandsdeliverexcellentcustomerproduct serviceexperiences.
Church'sChickenservesuparichtraditionofgracious Southernhospitalityandfreshlyprepared,highquality, authentichome-stylefare,tohelppeopleprovideaffordable, completemealsfortheirfamilies.
AdaptiveYogaisdesignedtomakeyogaaccessibletomore people.
mYngleisthepioneerofonlinelanguagelessons.
Water4Mercyprovidesthe'One-Two-ThreeSolution'to permanentlyendthirst,hungerandpovertyintheworld.
HCLTechnologieshelpsenterprisesreimaginetheirbusinesses forthedigitalage.
PraesidioGroupdeliversglobalsecurityandintelligence solutionsandservicestoindividuals,corporations,institutions, governments,andauthorities.
easyJet easyjet.com
easyJetisEurope’sleadingairlineofferingauniqueand winningcombinationofthebestroutenetworkconnecting Europe'sprimaryairports,withgreatvaluefaresandfriendly service.
SikiGiunta EVP&Headof HCLTechnologies CloudSMART Consultingand OfferingStrategy HCLTechnologies
ithglobalizationexpandingitswingsacross
Wcontinents,theworldoftechnologyhasrealized thepivotalroleofwomenintheITindustry Today,globalbusinessesarewitnessingthepotentialof femaleleadershipinsteeringthewheelofsocial transformation,andHCLTechnologieshasbeen spearheadingthischangebyappointingSikiGiuntaasits EVP&HeadofHCLTechnologiesCloudSMART ConsultingandOfferingStrategy.
SikileadstheglobalteamtoformulateHCL'svisionandto developCloudSMARTSolutions.Believingthatthe challengesoftoday,foranyonerepresentingagender,a generation,oraclass,isinmasteringskillsandmakingit thefocusofworkingrelationships,Sikiisinnovating, leading,andbeingacontributingmemberoftheHCL community
Intendingtolivealifeofpurpose–dogoodwork,mentor others,challengethestatusquo,andtakerisksforabetter outcome;Sikiispushingtheboundariesofthecloud, crushinggenderstereotypes,andachievingthe unimaginable!
Sikiistheperfectexampleofmordenleadership,driving cloudtechnologyintothefutureandinspiringmillions.
SikiisanItalianwomanwhopridesherselfonbeing expressivewiththeflexibilityoffourlanguages.She believesthatherinvestors,teams,andcolleaguesadaptedto thedifferencesbecausetheywitnessedtheresultsthatshe bringstothetable.
Thesaying,'Challengesarethesteppingstonetosuccess', provestobeverytruewhenyoulookattheearlycareerof SikiGiunta.
Reminiscingaboutthebeginningofhercareer,Sikishares, "At the beginning of my career, I could often go several days without seeing or talking to another woman in my field. I had to be better than good every day. Besides gender, I had a different temperament – when I was excited, I shared it; when I was frustrated, I shared it."
Addingtoherprofessionalchallenges,shesays, "I speak four languages, and sometimes I think in one language and talk in another, which can be challenging for the listener and me. As I look back over my career, I believe that my investors, teams, and colleagues adapted to the differences because they witnessed the results and came to trust my ability and appreciated the differences."
Withanexperienceoftwodecadesinleadershiproles,Siki hasservedglobaltechgiantswithaninnovativemindset."I had my moments, there were disappointments, but it's been more good than bad in general,"saysSiki.
InSiki'searlydaysofcloud,allthevendorsandanalysts couldtalkaboutwas'opexreplacingcapex'andhowthe cloudwouldchangethecoststructureofIT Whilethis cametobetrue,Sikiwasmoreintriguedbytheimpactof thecloudonthespeedofinnovation.Cloudhadthefacility toenablecompaniestopivotandadapt.Cloudchallenged everythingthathadgovernedITfordecades.
Sharingaboutthetransitioningphasesofglobalbusinesses towardsthecloud,Sikiremarked,"I am fortunate that I
love what I do, I am passionate about technology and the impact and promise it has for our world. As a student and then as a new technologist, mainframes were a marvel. A decade passed and then client-server architectures were taking the enterprise by a storm. Then one day Amazon accepted the first check for cloud consumption, and it was a new beginning. In my work I have had the advantage of spending time with CIOs in all industries, and I saw then and see clearly now that cloud was the future - the next big thing."
WhenSikisteppedintothecloud,shehadservedasthe CEOofseveralcompanieswithsuccessfulexits.Shewas recruitedin2010tobuildacloudbusinessinatraditional ITservicescompany Atfirst,theydebatedpublicor private,onpremiseandoff-premise,whileshesaidletthe workloadsbetheguide.Wheneveryonewaspreoccupied withratecards,Sikijokedthatcompaniesweren'tliningup to'buyapoundofcloud'.Instead,theywereinterestedin howcloudadoptionwouldchangethewaytheydid businessandfacilitategrowthandcompetition.This positionwasthedefiningmomentofSiki'scareer.
Tomitigatethefearofon-premisescloudinfrastructure, Sikibroughtinabrilliantteamofpeopleandworkedwith herpartnersEMCandVMwaretobuildacloudstackthat couldliveon-premises,deliveringthevalueofopex infrastructurecombinedwiththespeedandagilityofthe off-premisescloud.Sikisays,"We called it BizCloud and introduced it to the market with an equally unique pricing model. For a company that specialized in managing onpremises, legacy infrastructure, BizCloud was a gamechanger."
Sikiadds, " This private cloud provided a way for companies to learn about and appreciate the agility of cloud while they overcame their fear of off-premises infrastructure."
Duringthistime,SikimetKaylanKumar,nowChief TechnologyOfficer(CTO)forHCLTechnologies.She shares,"I continued to push the boundaries of cloud at other large consulting companies until KK, as we call him, made me an offer to join HCL and I couldn't refuse. I joined HCL because I believed that KK and the ideapreneurs at
HCL would again push the boundaries of the cloud one more time. No other company has the extensive portfolio of HCL and the human capital and engineering expertise to continue the evolution to the modern cloud.”
AtHCL,Sikiisonamissiontoenableherclientsto envisiontheirfuture,findingtheirnorthstar,andbringing thatfuturevisionintofocuswiththemoderncloud.
Withapassionfordevelopinganddeliveringinnovative offeringsthatenableHCLclients’Cloud-drivenbusiness success,Sikiensuresatransformativeshiftintheglobal businesscircle.
HCLTechnologiesCEO,CVijayKumar,encourages everyonetoworkwithpurposeandhaschosenasimple-toremembermantratoguidepersonaldevelopmentandkeep themfocusedontheirpersonalgrowth.Theorganization hasadoptedagurumantrathatcharacterizesHCL ideapreneurs: Do, Learn, and Contribute.
TalkingaboutthemissionandvisionofHCLTechnologies Sikisays,"Original thinking is highly valued, which enables HCL to develop so many products that are embedded in the solutions we bring to the client. Always innovative, our solutions focus on automation and risk mitigation. HCL exists to grow and compete aggressively, to challenge the status quo. Every person at HCL derives personal pride from getting it done."
Asavisionaryleader,Sikiintendstobeinthemoment, innovating,leading,andcontributingtotheHCL community.Shequotes,"Like my friends here, I will DO, LEARN and CONTRIBUTE to benefit our customers and myself."
SikiisapproachingtheHCLworkflowwithafuturistic vision."HCLunderstandsthechallenges.Tomeetthe challengetheHCLhumanmotorhumswithproductivity
SpeakingaboutthepositiveworkcultureofHCL,whichis knownforits'can-doattitude',Sikiexpresses,"The company is obsessed with immortalizing how much they can
DO and how they will do it! The leadership believes that our work is very relevant, integral to our clients' businesses. Everyone here approaches their work with the right intent and with the intensity it deserves."
AtHCLTechnologies,Diversity,Equity,andInclusionare thecenterpieceoftheorganization'sculture.Thetechgiant focusesonsustainabilityanddiscoverswaystoprotect resourcestobenefittheworld.Itrepresents50countries withmanyculturesandlanguages.SikimentionsthatHCL CEO,CVijayKumargovernsprogramsthatdevelop womenleaders,andcreateaculturethatisconduciveto women,ethnicities,multiplegenerations,andpeoplewith disabilities.
Sikiisaresilientleaderwhoisknownforherunique approachtothetechnologicaltransformationofbusinesses withoutaddingtotheirtechnicaldebt.Shenotes,"We bring agility and speed to our customers. Our customers expect us to fast-track their cloud journey with innovative tools and capabilities. They want HCL to modernize their applications and how they are leveraging data to innovate without risk and make risk-free decisions. Finally, they expect excellence in digital engineering."
AtHCLTechnologies,thecloudistheconsistent technologyinallthebusinesssegments:ITBusiness Services,Engineering&ResearchServices,andProducts& Platforms.It'sconsulting-ledCloudSMARTistheHCL strategytoprovidecustomerswithcontinuouscloud modernization. Sikiexplains,themodernbusinessisa perpetualstateofchangeand#HCLCloudSMARTprovides
thetechnology,expertise,andexperiencetoenableour clientstoreachtheirnorthstar
Withmoderninfrastructureplayingapivotalroleincloud computation,businessleadersareleveragingtechnologyto promotehealth,wellness,andequitableaccesstoeducation acrosssocio-economicclasses.
Sharinghervisionofsocialdevelopmentthrough empoweringtheDigitalage,Sikiexpressesthattechnology iseverywherebutnotequitablyaccessible.Therearerural townseverywhereintheworldwithlimitedaccesstothe internet.Thisisaprimarycauseofgenerationalpoverty, infantmortality,andchronicallyillpopulations.
Today,sustainabilityisemergingasamajorconsideration forclientsconsumingthecloud.GreenITisleadingthe waymakingsustainabilitycentraltotheorganization's technologyprioritiesinlinewiththeUN-SDGs.Cloud servicesconsumeenergyandmustbemonitored, controlled,andevolvetousebetterenergysources.
Predictingthefutureofcloudcomputingsheexplainsthat HCLseestremendouspotentialina data-centricapproach togaininginsightsandbelievesinachievingresponsibleAI. "I am personally monitoring Quantum Computing and see quantum computing and cloud at a crossroads. In the search for a better platform to crunch data for intelligence, enterprise organizations will continue streamlining quantum computing services by leveraging the cloud. Cloud and quantum computing will work together to support the Data-Driven Enterprises. In the not too distant future, cloud may run out of steam, and quantum will enable the outcomes that Cloud will not be able to compute,"says Siki.
Advisingthebuddingentrepreneurswhoarelikelyto ventureintocloudtechnology,Sikigivesathree-fold businessmantra."First – love learning, be inquisitive. Second – embrace change without fear. Third – be honest with yourself, your customers, and the people you work with. They will trust you and be willing to follow you," concludesSiki.
Alexi Venneri Co-founder & CEO
DAlexiVenneristartedherinnovative companyafterherautomotive advertisingagencyclosedamidOEM bankruptciesanddealershipshutdowns.During theGreatRecession,Alexiknewthateventhough advertisingbudgetshadbeencutdramatically, dealershipsandotherbusinessesstillneededto reachconsumers—muchliketoday.
igitalAirStrikeco-founderandCEO
Twelveyearsago,socialmediawasstartingtobe usedinbusiness-to-consumercommunication. Thiswasbeforebusinesspagesevenexistedon Facebook.Alexiknewsocialmediawaswhere consumerswerespendingtheirtimeandwanted toprovidealow-costwayforbusinessestoattract consumers.DigitalAirStrikewasfoundedtohelp dealersmonetizethelow-costreach,engagement, andsocialmediaopportunity,evenbefore advertisingonFacebook,Twitter,orYouTube.
“Iwasalwaysfascinatedbyentrepreneurs,and
whenIwrotemyfirstbook,Ihadbeenasuccessful executivebuthadnotyetstartedmyowncompany,"Alexi said."Ittooktherecessiontoforcemetostartmyventure, andIfoundIlovedcreatingafantasticculturewhere everyonelovedseeingtheircolleaguesandenjoyedgoing towork."
Today,DigitalAirStrikehasgrowntoover150employees withmorethan7,700businessesandautomotiveclients nationwide.Astheleadingcustomerengagement technologypartner,thecompanyhascompletedsixmergers andacquisitionsandexpandedtoprovideasuiteof consumerengagementtechnologyandservices.Business solutionsincludeAIchatmessaging,consumertext marketing,digitalandstreamingadvertising,inventory merchandising,onlinereputationmanagement,andvideo leadengagement.
DigitalAirStrikeishonoredAlexiwaschosenbyInsights Successmagazineasoneofthetenmostinspiringwomen leaderstofollowin2022.Alexiisthebackboneofthe companyandtheimpetusbehindDigitalAirStrike'sgrowth tohelpbusinessesin32countriesleveragetechnologyto attract,convert,andretainmorecustomers.
AlexiandtheDigitalAirStriketeamstrivetoprovidethe bestcustomerexperienceforclients.Oneofthecompany's valuesis"ClientsWin."Inthepastyear,Alexihasledthe teamtodevelopnewtechnology,helpedclientsleverageit, andacquiredtwonewcompanies:BestRide.comand LotVantage.
BestRide.comisaninnovativeautomotivemarketplacethat allowsconsumerstosearchformillionsofnewandused carsonlinefromcardealersacrosstheUnitedStates. LotVantageisadigitalinventorymarketingsoftware-as-a-
servicecompanythateffectivelyenablesauto,RV,marine, andpowersportsdealershipstomerchandisetheirinventory throughadvancedtargetinganddataanalytics.
InJanuary,DigitalAirStrikelauncheditsLotVantage PartnerProgram.Theexpandedprogramenables dealershipsandtheirmarketingpartnerstomerchandise inventorymoreeffectively,delivertargetedmessagingto consumers,anddrivebusinessresultsthroughincreased vehiclesalesandfixedoperationsserviceactivities.
"Formorethantenyears,DigitalAirStrikehasprovided ourchannelpartnerswithinnovativeinventory merchandisingandcustomerengagementtechnology," Alexisaid."ThroughthelaunchofDigitalAirStrike's LotVantagePartnerProgram,wearecombiningthe capabilitiesofDigitalAirStrikeandtheacquisitionof LotVantagetodeliverarobustsuiteofsolutions."
InOctober,DigitalAirStrikewasrecognizedagainforits digitalmarketing,reputationmanagement,andsocialmedia managementtechnologyandservices,pickinguptop honorsinnewcustomerexperiencetechnologycategories: newvehicleleads,mobilemedia,andvideomessaging. DASwonarecordsix2021Dealers'ChoiceAwardsfrom AutoDealerToday.Theawardsareincrediblygratifying sinceautodealers,DigitalAirStrike'sprimaryclientele, decidethewinners.
"Thinklikeanowner"isoneofthecompany'smottos. Alexiappreciateswhenemployeestaketheinitiativeand offersuggestionstomovethecompanyforward.Shestarted theWIT(WhateverItTakes)awardstoencourage employeestonominateotherteammemberswhogoabove andbeyondtohelpclients,co-workers,andthecompany EightWITwinnersarechosenmonthlytoberecognizedat thecompanymeeting,win$250,andreceiveatrophyfor theirdesk.
Alexistartedtheemployee-ledDASVenturesgroup,which organizesfun,healthyactivitieseverymonthforemployees acrosstheU.S.Recentactivitieshaveincludedabowling outing,astepchallenge(withthewinningteamloggingin over1millionsteps),andtheannualholidaypartyata casinoresortthatincludedaGinBlossomsconcert.Digital AirStrikehasanactiveprivateFacebookgrouptheteam regularlypostsphotosandupdatesin,andAlexiisaregular contributor.
DigitalAirStrikehasanunrivaledcompanyculturethat Alexiisbehind.Anotherbigperkforemployeesisthe
Technology that drives a better consumer experience.
annualPresident'sClubtrip,whicheveryemployeecan eitherwinorearntheirwaytoattendtheall-expenses-paid trip.Themostrecenttripwasa5-dayvacationinLondon overNewYear'sEve.TheteamvisitedStonehengeand WindsorCastle,enjoyedadouble-deckerafternoonteabus tourthroughthecity,andstayedinabeautifulcastleresort intheEnglishcountryside.
Alexihasalsoestablishedacultureofcharitythroughits DASCaresinitiativeorganizedbyDASVentures.Giving backmonthlytononprofitsinneedarenearanddearto whatthecompanyisallabout.DigitalAirStrikehasgiven backtodozensofcharitiesthroughhundredsofthousands ofdollarsfinanciallyandthroughin-kinddonations,along withcountlesshoursofemployeevolunteerism.Employees
choosethecharity'scausesmeaningfultotheirbackgrounds andfamilies.
AlexiisalsothemastermindbehindDigitalAirStrike offeringflexibleworkschedulesandmonthlyhalfdaysto providevolunteerism.Alexiisalwaysavailabletosupport herteam'sefforts,openherwallettohelp,andignitethe spiritofvolunteerisminemployees.
“I'mmostproudofbeingabletohireintelligentanddriven teammembersfirstduringtheGreatRecessionandnowto continuetohireandgrowduringapandemic,"Alexisaid. "Wehavethebestpeopleandtechnology,andeveryone caresaboutourclientsgettingincredibleresults."
DigitalAirStrikehelpsbusinessesimprovetheconsumer experienceforcustomersthroughafreeMysteryShopand IntelReport.Requestthefreereportsat digitalairstrike.com/mystery-shopand digitalairstrike.com/intel-report.
TheDigitalAirStriketeamandfamilymembersvisited LondonandStonehengeovertheNewYear’sEveholiday aspartoftheannualPresident’sClubtrip. DigitalAirStrikeco-founderandCEOAlexi Vennerihasmetentrepreneurand philanthropistSirRichardBransonmanytimes atclientG-20SummittripsatBranson’s privateislandsintheBritishVirginIslands.
Almosteveryindustryhashadinspiringstoriesthat broughtaboutamuch-neededchange.Onesuch upliftingstoryisofEllenVoie,whoconvincedan entireindustrytofocusitsattentiononwomen’scareers.
Ellenstartedherquesttomakethetransportationindustrya positiveplaceforwomen.Duetoherunmatchedefforts,her voicehasbeenheardatalargerscaleandledtomany changesatanationallevelinthetransportationsegment.
Currently,EllenistheCEOandPresidentoftheWomen InTruckingAssociationwhichwasestablishedwiththe solepurposeofhelpingwomenwiththeirtransportation careers.Asthenameoftheorganizationsuggests,itsmain goalistodrivepassionatewomentobuildasuccessful careerinthetruckingindustry.Sheiscontinuingtoinspire womenbuildtheircareersintruckingwhilealsohelping themdoso.
WeatInsightsSuccesscaughtupwithhertohearher thoughtsandvisionregardingherpersonalaswellas professionalgoals.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Briefouraudienceaboutyourjourneyasabusiness leaderuntilyourcurrentpositionattheorganization. Whatchallengeshaveyouovercometoreachwhereyou aretoday?
AsthefounderoftheWomenInTruckingAssociationmy firstchallengewastoconvinceanindustrythattherewasa needtofocusonwomen’scareersintransportation.Fifteen yearsago,mostcarriersjusthiredthebestperson,without regardtoage,genderorethnicity.However,therewasn’ta
levelplayingfieldandwomenwereexpectedtofitintoa maledominatedenvironment.Nowthatwehavebetterdata ontheadvantagesofhiringwomen.
Tellussomethingmoreabouttheorganizationandits missionandvision.
TheWomenInTruckingAssociationwasformedto encouragetheemploymentofwomenintransportation careers,toaddressobstaclesthatmightkeepwomenfrom succeedingandtocelebratethesuccessofourmembers.We currentlyhave6,400membersintencountries. Surprisingly,fifteenpercentofourmembersaremenwho joinbecausetheysupportourmission.Asa professional/tradeorganizationwearesupportedbyour memberswhopayduesinordertoaccessourresourcesand takeadvantageofournetworkingopportunities.
Enlightenusonhowyouhavemadeanimpactinthe industrythroughyourexpertiseinthemarket.
Myentirecareerhasbeeninthetruckingindustry.In1980I earnedadiplomainTraffic&TransportationManagement whichhasgivenmethebackgroundtobetterunderstandthe challengesinthesupplychain.Iwentontoearna bachelor’sandMaster’sdegreeinCommunication,andmy thesisfocusedonthe“ComplexIdentitiesofWomen MarriedtoProfessionalDrivers.”Thishasprovidedinsight intothefamilyaspectsofthejob,whichismoreofa lifestylethanitisacareer.Becauseofmypassionforthe peoplesideoftheindustry,Ihaveadifferentviewofhowto solvemanyofourchallengesinregardtorecruiting, promotionandretentionofwomenintruckingcareers.
ThroughmyroleatWomenInTrucking,Ihavebeenableto haveavoiceatthenationallevel.Icurrentlyserveonthe
Ellen Voie
“
We all have a passion for empowering and supporting women in the trucking industry.
FederalMotorCarrierSafetyAdministration’sMotor CarrierSafetyAdvisoryCommittee,andIhaveservedon theEntryLevelDriverTrainingAdvisorCommittee.Ialso serveontheboardofdirectorsoftheWisconsinMotor CarriersAssociationaswellastheWisconsinDepartment ofTransportation’sMotorCarrierAdvisorCommittee.I believemypassionforservingasaresourcehasallowed metobeacrediblesourceforissuesconcerningwomen workinginthetruckingindustry
Describeindetailthevaluesandtheworkculturethat drivesyourorganization.
Asanassociation,wehavealwayshadaremoteworkforce. Ourteamisspreadacrossthecountry,butwestay connectedthroughtheuseoftechnology.However,this meansourstaffmustbeself-motivatedandfocusedon output,notontimespentworking.Ourvaluesaretruly whathasmadeourprogresssodramatic,asweallhavea passionforempoweringandsupportingwomeninthe truckingindustry Withoutthissharedgoal,wewouldn’t exist.
Undeniably,technologyisplayingasignificantrolein almosteverysector.Howareyouleveraging technologicaladvancementstomakeyoursolutions resourceful?
Technologyhastrulychangedthewaywecommunicate withourmembers.Whenthepandemicrequiredusto cancelourconference,weturnedtoavirtualeventwhich wasverysuccessful.Technologyhasalsogivenusthe opportunitytousesocialmediatotellourstory.We leverageFacebook,LinkedIn,Instagram,TikTok,Twitter andYouTube.Ourdriverscaneasilyaddvideosandphotos toshareandtotelltheirstories.
Ifgivenachance,whatchangewouldyouliketobring intheindustry?
IfIcouldchangesomethinginthetruckingindustry,it wouldbetocreateamorefemale-friendlyenvironment. Insteadofexpectingwomentofitintoanindustrythatwas designedformen,Iwouldwelcomesimpleadaptionssuch
aswomen’suniforms,trucksthataremoreergonomically designedforwomen,restroomsandshowersmore accessibleforwomenandevenmarketingmaterialsmore gender-inclusive.Thetruckingindustryhasbeenavery male-dominatedindustryfornearlyacentury,soitisslow tochange.
What,accordingtoyou,couldbethenextbigchangein theindustry?Howisyourcompanypreparingtobea partofthatchange?
Thenextbigchangeinthetruckingindustrywillbethe pushformoreautonomousvehicles.Whileweembracethe safetytechnologythatisbeingaddedtothesevehicles,we don’tanticipateadriverlesstruckwillbeacommonsiteon ournation’shighwaysintheshortterm.However,asanticollision,anti-rollover,anti-theftandsomuchbetter technologyisaddedtothesetrucksitwillmakethejob safer,thehighwayssaferandourdriverssaferandwe welcomethat.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselftobeinthelongrun andwhatareyourfuturegoalsforthecompany?
Afewyearsago,Iannouncedmygoaltoretirein2023,so wehavebeenworkingonasuccessionplantoreplaceme astheCEOofWomenInTrucking.Myfuturegoalforthe associationistogrowandtobecomeagreaterinfluencein theindustry.Mypersonalgoalsaretoturnovertheleadtoa capableandpassionatepersonwhowilladvanceour mission.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingwomen entrepreneurswhoaspiretoventureintotheindustry?
Foranyfemaleentrepreneur,butespeciallyforwomenin malepopulatedcareers,myadviceistodeterminewhere youwanttobeintheshorttermaswellaslongterm.Write downyourgoalsandthenbuildthestepsitwilltaketo achievethem.AntionedeSaintExupery,aFrenchwriter andaviatoroncesaid, “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” Createavisionboardordisplayyourplanwhere youcanseeiteveryday.
Jenniffer Breitenstein
Insuretechmeansmanythingstomanypeople.It typicallydescribesawarrantycompanythat providesasoftwareplatformthatfacilitateswarranty salesbyeCommerceproviders.But,itissomuch more.
OnPointWarrantySolutionsconnectsbrandsand consumersthroughAPIForwardInsuretechanddynamic mobileandwarrantyservicesolutionsdesignedtoreduce risk,increaseefficiency,delightcustomers,andimprove bottomlines.ThisMonth,wehighlightJenniffer Breitenstein,KellieHarrison,andKimMolkoski,the dynamicwomenofOnPointthathavehelpedpropelthe companyasaleaderintheinsuretech,mobileandwarranty verticals,allwhilekeepinganeyeoncustomerexperience.
AstheChiefMarketingOfficer,Jennifferbringsa collaborative,solution-orientedleadershipstylethat'sbeen criticaltobringinginnovativeinsuretechandwarranty solutionstomarket.OnPointofferclientsandconsumers theabilitytoseamlesslyofferandpurchasepersonalized warrantyprotectionandon-demandservicesolutions.With aneyeonthecompetitivemarket,andchangingconsumer preferences,aswellas30+yearsinthewarrantyand technologyverticals,Jennifferhashelpedthebusiness becomethego-toinsuretechprovider.OnPoint’sService AvengerInsuretechsolutionenablesmanufacturers, retailersandeCommerceproviders,builders,insurers, homewarrantycompanies,MVNOsandcarriers,service companiestodigitizethewarrantyprocess.Througha comprehensivesuiteofAPIs,warrantysellerscansell warrantyprotectionandserviceplans. Avenger,combined withOnPoint'sadministrativecapabilitiessupportpost-sale warrantyfulfillmentandrepairservicesupport,aswellas real-timeclaimreimbursementsviacommonpayment platformssuchasPaypal.What’smore,Jenniffer maximizesherclient’slong-termrevenuepotentialthrough offeringcontinuouslyinnovative,personalizedwarrantyand
mobileproductswhichofferprotectionforalifetime,for theproductsthatmattermosttoconsumers.
KellieHarrison VicePresidentofClientServices, ,isthe gluethatmakesOnPointstick!Kellieandherteamswork witheveryclienttodeployOnPoint’sinsuretech,mobile, andwarrantysolutions.Sheensuresthatprogramslaunch ontime,aspromised,anddeliverthehighestlevelsof customerwarrantyserviceexperiencesonthemarket. KellieandtheclientandcustomerserviceteamsatOnPoint careaboutconsumers.Kelliehasempoweredtheteamwith technology,knowledge,andtheautonomytosolveproduct problemseveryday.Shetapsintodecadesofexperiencein themedicalindustrytocraftandfine-tunetheprocessesand curriculumOnPoint'steamreliesontodelivergreatservice andkeepcustomerscomingbackformorewarranty protectionplanseveryday.
KimMolkoski,VicePresidentBusinessDevelopment hasbeeninstrumentalinOnPoint’ssuccessinthe Mobile andTechnologyVertical Withdecadesofexperienceins. thetechnologyandmobilityindustry,Kimisleadingthe creationofinnovative,B2Bandconsumer-centricmobile warrantysolutionsforOnPoint.Kim’skeyfocusinthe mobilespaceisevaluatingthecompetitivelandscapeand findingsolutionsandproductswhichofferclientsawayto differentiatethemselvesinthemarket.Acquisition,churn andattacharecriticaltomobileandtechnologyclients. She’sbeenabletoconstructcomprehensive,end-to-end mobilesolutionswhichdrivesalesforourclients,thereby creatinganewnicheforOnPoint,whichofferssolutions directtotheconsumer,tocommercial,governmentand educationsectors,andtocarriersandMVNOs.
Bounce MobileSolutionsoffersTotalDeviceProtectionincluding repairanddamageprotectionfornew,refurbishedand BYODdevices;ScreenReplacementPlansforanymobile device;BundledResellerSolutionswhichcombinedevice procurement,financing,airtime,warrantyprotection(repair
+ADH)andtrade-inadministrationfornewand refurbisheddevices;andlastly,WholeHomeElectronics Protectionwhichoffersresellersandconsumers personalizedwarrantyrepairprotectionforallofthenew andexistingelectronics,computing,mobileandsmart productsintheirhomes.
Jennifferbeganhercareerinmarketingatathird-party warrantyadministratorinLouisville,KY,whichwasstarted byateamfromGEAppliances.Shemadeaconscious decisiontoworkinasmallerbusinesstogainexperience outsideofhercollegemajor.Shewasabletoworkacross marketing,operations,IT,andevenservice,earningan immeasurableamountofknowledgeandexperience.
JennifferwasthenabletocatapultfromtheretoGE WarrantyManagement.Shewasabletogain'bigbusiness' experience,again,gaininganimmenseamountof knowledgeandexperienceworkingacrossseveralgroups withinthebusiness.Shetookadirectsalesroleforashort periodtogetexperiencefromtheothersideofthelens,if youwill,andlefttoworkwithaformerGEcolleagueina US-basedstartupofaBritishcompany,ServicePower. Theresheservedmanyrolesbutcontinuedtoworkwith manufacturers,retailers,serviceproviders,andthird-party administratorswhileinthistechnologybusiness.She gainedmuchinsightintowhatittakestobuildatechnology platform,driveitsadoption,andalsowhatittooktodeliver greatcustomerserviceexperiencesinaproductservice business.
Jennifferstayedthereuntil2018whenshejoinedtwo formercolleagues,ChrisSmith,andRobChristian,ina newstartup,OnPointWarrantySolutions,aninsuretech, warranty,andnowmobileservicesbusiness.AtOnPoint Warranty,she'sbeenabletoapplyherexperienceacross businessverticalstolaunchthebusinessanddriveits growth.JennifferhasaBSBAfromtheUniversityof Louisvilleandisa6Sigmacertifiedgreenbelt.
Kellie'spathwasthroughthemedicalindustry.Kellieisa seniorentrepreneurialexecutivewithover25+yearsof experienceinstrategicbusinessdevelopment,account management,andteamdevelopment.AsVPofClient ServicesatStoneClinicalLabsandGulfstream Diagnostics,sheoptimizedoperationalefficiencies, increasedproductivity,andexceededtargetsalesgoals.She workeddirectlywithpatientserviceprovidersand understandswhatittakestodelivergreatpatientcare.
Thoughthatsoundsverydifferentfromproductservice, what'sneededtoexceedinmedicalcareissimilartothatof aproductandwarrantyservice.
AtOnPoint,Kellieusesherexperiencesworkingwith patientsandcaregiverstocareforitsconsumers.Itdelivers productserviceonbehalfofitsclientsandthroughits direct-to-consumerbrands,FixhomzandBounce.She combinesalead-by-examplemanagementstylewith intuitivesalesstrategiestomaximizeoperationalefforts, focusingonCXwhiledrivingthebusinesstowards profitabilityandvaluetoclients.KellieisacertifiedMT ASCPanda6Sigmawhitebelt,withaMAfromWebster University
Kimtookadifferentpath.Focusingexclusivelywithinthe mobileandtechnologyverticals,Kimheldvarious leadershiproles,includingSalesManagement,Account Executive,foranumberofmobileandtechnology distributors,BusinessDevelopmentmanufacturers, resellers,andMVNOs,includingBellExpressVu,Bell Distribution,Mobilicity,IngramMicroMobility,and Zoompass.Kimhasbeeninstrumentalinvariousstartup's andtakentheskillsshegainedinthosebusinesses,from settingnewstandardsinpolicy&procedures,developing newverticalsandchannelstocompetein,tomaximizing overallsalesperformancebyfocusingoninnovationand customercare.Herdrivetoseehercustomerssucceed helpeddevelopnewmobilesolutions,whichopenednew channelsforOnPoint'sinsuretechandmobilewarranty products.KimholdsaBA,Arts,andPsychologyfromthe UniversityofGuelph,Ontario.
OnPointanditsinsuretech,mobile,andwarrantyservice solutionshavemadeahugeimpactontheindustry Asthe femaleleadersinthebusiness,Jenniffer,Kellie,andKim haveusedtheirbusinessexperiencetodriveinnovationand customerexperienceforconsumersandstaff.Manyhourly workerstendtobeverytransientinotherbusinesses, especiallyafterCOVID.However,OnPointhasdrivena cultureofinclusionfocusedonempoweringitsteamsto delivergreatCX.Ithasteammembersthathavebeenwith thecompanysincedayone.
OnPointhasbeeninstrumentalinpositioningitsbusinessas anindustryinnovator,focusingonconsumerexperience fromacorporateperspective.Itdictatesthateveryproduct serviceinteractiondeliverthehighestlevelsofquality possibleforconsumers.OnPointcallsitsstaff 'Service
Avengers'andhasempoweredthemtobeproblemsolvers andcustomersuperstars.Thisfocusonconsumer experiencehasbeencriticalinlandingfortune100 companiesasastartup.
OnPoint'sServiceAvengerInsuretechplatformfacilitates seamlesswarrantyoffersviaretail,e-commerceplatforms, oraftermarketefforts.IthasintegratedSKUmanagement, contractonboarding,termsdelivery,intelligentservice dispatching,andclaimsadjudication.TheplatformisAPIforwardindesignandincorporatesthelatestomnichannel consumercommunicationsandreal-timeclaimpayments.
Manyofthecompany'shomewarrantyande-commerce competitorshavecometoOnPointforassistance.Ithas assistedglobalcompetitorsandclientsinstreamliningthe warrantyofferandsalesprocessthroughAvenger.Itdoesso througheitherasoftwaredeploymentoramobileor warrantyservicesengagement.Itssolutionsand administrativecapabilitiescreatemorebrandloyaltyand increaserepeatsalesforitsclients.Ithasbeeninstrumental indrivinginnovationinanindustryfraughtwitholdtech andbadconsumerexperiences.Thisplatformhasincreased itsaddressablemarket10-foldbycreatingcooperative, competitiveofferings.Co-opetitionisthisteam'sfavorite word.
Thewarrantybusinesshasbeendecisivelychangedby insuretechsolutions,ledinlargepartbyOnPoint.Warranty sellersneedwarrantytechnologythattakestheburdenfrom theirITorganizationtobecomewarrantyexperts.Avenger doesthat.ItsAPI-forwarddesignincludesintegrationsfor everypointintheprocess,fromtheoffertotransactinga sale,torepairandreplacementreimbursementswhen combinedwithOnPoint'sadministrativecapabilitiesand portfolioofunderwrittenprotectionproducts.
Insurancetechnologyissopowerful,thatOnPointhas becometheInsuretechtotheInsuretechsandtheWarranty AdministratortoOEMs,Retailers,andThirdParty Administratorsalike.
ServiceAvengeroffers360°functionalitytosupport warrantyproducts.Itskeydifferentiatorsare: • API-forwarddesign
• eCommerceclientscanquicklyfacilitateonline warrantyoffersandcontractfulfillmentthrough Avenger
• OEMs,retailers,andhomewarrantysellerscan
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quicklyprovidewarrantyservicefulfillmentto consumersthroughAvenger.
• ClientscanutilizeOnPoint'sInsuretechplatformas aservice,astheirfrontend,tofacilitatesales, service,oraftermarketcampaigns.
• WarrantyServiceFulfillment.
• Clients,includingTPAandhomewarranty competitors,cansellaproductorextended warrantiesandrelyonOnPointastheirbackend,to delivergreatcustomerserviceexperiencespostsale.
• Integratedlogisticscapabilitiesimproveproduct servicesatisfactionthroughreduceddeliverytime, depot,advancedexchange,andrefurbishment services.
• Itsextensivenetworkofglobalunderwriting partnersenablesOnPointtoconstructurethebest insurancesolutionsforclients.
Theplatformwasdesignedtechnicallytosupportanysales channelwithofferlogicandeCommerce,SKUandcontract management,andpost-sale,withadministrationand entitlement,servicefulfillment,andclaimsadjudicationand payments.
TheOnPointteamisinvestedinthesuccessofthebusiness. Jenniffer,Kellie,andKimagreethat “It's a family here. We want to continue to grow the business and our teams and become the benchmark that our competitors are held up to."
TheOnPointteamadvisebuddingfemaleentrepreneursto usewhatisinnatelyfemaletodrivesuccessforthemselves. Womenarecapableofbigthingsandhavetosupporteach othertodoso.
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Karen Viera
Maintaining a Laser-Focused Concentration on Achieving Commercial Obje ives
I think it is important to gain experience across your discipline and in different areas of a company as that adds to your skillset and broadens your business per e ive.
Owiththeirchoices,ponderingquestionslike,are youdoingsomethingyoulove?Areyougetting closertoyourobjective,orareyougettingfurtheraway, eventuallybecomingawatershedmomentinyourlife.
neoftenreachesapointwhereonefeelsstagnant
KarenVieraexperiencedthesamethingwhenshestarted herprofessionalcareerwithasummerarchitecture internship.However,shequicklydiscoveredthather passionforbusinessandpeoplewasbetteralignedwith humanresources.Andastimewenton,shecontinuedto branchoutintonewfieldsofworktowidenhercommercial horizons.Currently,KarenisaGlobalChiefPeople OfficeratChurch'sChicken,a70-yearbrandandprivate equityownedquick-servicerestaurantchain.
InsightsSuccesscaughtupwithKareninourendeavorto find "The10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022" toknowmoreaboutherjourney
Below are the highlights of the interview: Briefouraudienceaboutyourjourneyasabusiness leaderuntilyourcurrentpositionattheCompany. Whatchallengesdidyouhavetoovercometoreach whereyouaretoday?
Ibeganmyprofessionalcareerwithasummerarchitectural internshipbutquicklyrealizedthatfieldwasn'ttherightfit. Instead,mycallingwastopursueacareerinhuman resourceswhereIcouldchangehowpeoplereactto
differentornewsituations,especiallyintheworkplaceand makeabusinessimpact.Ihaven'talwaysworkedinhuman resources,includingventuringintoprojectmanagement, andIleadanorganizationaleffectivenessdivisionfora Fortune500InsuranceCompanyundertheirOperations Divisionforseveralyears.Ithinkitisimportanttogain experienceacrossyourdisciplineandindifferentareasofa companyasthataddstoyourskillsetandbroadensyour businessperspective.Contributingtotheadvancementof businessobjectivesthroughhumancapitalinitiatives requiresasolidunderstandingofpeopleandtheimpactof thoseinitiativestotherevenuestreamofacompany
TellussomethingmoreabouttheCompanyandits MissionandVision.
Foundedin1952inSanAntonio,Church'sChickenisone oftheworld'slargestquick-servicerestaurantchicken chains,withmorethan1,500locationsin25countriesand internationalterritories.
Church'sMissionistoprovidegreatvalueandthe boldtasteofTexastoourguests,growthtoour franchisees,opportunitiestoourteammembers,and supporttothecommunitiesweserve.
Church'sVisionistobecometheglobalfranchisorof choice.
Enlightenusonhowyouhavemadeanimpactin theindustrythroughyourexpertiseinthemarket. Inthemidstofanunprecedentederaofurgency, humanresourceprofessionalshavefoundthemselves frontandcenterinapushtolaunchnewinitiatives. RespondingtotheCOVID-19pandemic,Church's leadershipteamslaunchedanengagementcampaign torecognizeitsessentialworkersintherestaurants, implementingenhancedbonusprogramstoensureour employeesknowtheyareappreciated.
Ourhumanresourcesteamisalsofocusedon integratingequality,inclusion,anddiversityintothe Company'sglobalinitiatives,takingdeliberate measurestoexpandculturalperspectives,strengthen andbuildculturalsecurity,andinstillglobalequality ofopportunities.
Describeindetailthevaluesandtheworkculture thatdrivesyourorganization.
Ouremployeesaretheheartoftheorganizationand thestrengthofthebrand.Thebrandistheimageand personality–andourpeoplearethespiritthatbringsitto lifeforourguests.The"OurTexasWay"peoplebrand integratestheCompany'svalues,employeeappreciation, andguestexperiences.Theprogramisdesignedtoincrease employeeengagementandbuildthekindofteam-member pridethatisthebasisofmemorablebrands.Inaddition, Church'sChickenwontheTopWorkplacerecognitionby theAtlantaJournal-Constitutionin2021.
Ifgivenachance,whatchangewouldyouliketobring totheindustry?
TheGreatResignationwavehitretailandrestaurantjobs particularlyhard.Recruitingandretentionwillcontinueto beastrongfocus,aswilleffectiverecruitingmethods, onboarding,andtrainingtechnologyoverthenextfew years.Today'stechnologyischangingrapidlyinevery industry,includingtherestaurantspace.Trainingcurrent
employeesandnewhiresonnewtechnologiesalongwith ensuringastrongpeopleculturearecriticaltooursuccess.
The"OurTexasWay'peoplebrandbeganbycreatingan employeevaluepropositionbasedonaninternalsurveyand focusgroups.Weincludeddomesticandinternational employees,alongwithfranchisees,toensurethatthe outcomewouldresonatewitheveryone.Theresultingvalue propositionbasedonthisfeedbackis"BuildingFriendships andaFuturewithourDownHomepride."Buildingafuture saysalot.Ouremployeeswantacareer;theywantgrowth. Throughthefocusgroupstocreate Our Texas Way, we uncoveredwhatwasmostvaluabletoemployeesandhow theytakeactioneverydayintherestaurants.
Aswecontinuewithourpeople-firststrategy,wearealso focusedonleveragingtechnologyforenhancing communicationsandtrainingtohaveamoreconsistentand broaderreachtoallemployees.Wewillcontinuetofocus onthesekeyareasasweensureouremployeesfeel appreciatedandareengaged,learning,andcontinueto grow
What,accordingtoyou,couldbethenextbigchangein theindustry?HowisyourCompanypreparingtobea partofthatchange?
Ourfocusonour'PeopleFirst"strategywillcontinuetobe ourtoppriority,andthatincludestraininganddeveloping staffaswellasdrivingthe"OurTexasWay"peoplebrand withourrestaurantteams.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselftobeinthelongrun, andwhatareyourfuturegoalsfortheCompany?
Church'sisexpandinginternationally,andwearegoinginto newcountriesforthenextfewyearsbeyondthe25 countrieswherewecurrentlyreside.Inaddition,weare rebrandingourrestaurantsandlookingtogrowour franchiseebasedomestically.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingwomen entrepreneurswhoaspiretoventureintotheindustry?
Church'sChickenwasmyfirstventureintoPrivateEquity andtheFoodIndustry,asmostofmyexperiencecomes fromFortune500InsuranceandMedicalcompanies.I foundtheQSRIndustrytobefast-pacedandafascinating placetowork.Thereisabroadrangeofjobstoconsider, fromrestaurantemploymentandmanagementand
operations,marketingtosupplychaintothemore traditionalfinance,legalandhumanresourcesareas.Thisis theclosestIhaveworkedwiththesupplychainteams,andI amfascinatedandhavegreatrespectfortheirwork.Iam deeplyimpressedwiththeskillsofourrestaurantmanagers andtheheartandworkethicofourrestaurantemployees. Thegreatestpercentageofourrestaurantleadershipare women,andworkinginthisindustryprovidesapathto managementandcanbeagreatsteptobecominga franchiseowner
ifeisnotblackandwhite.Therearemanyshades
Lofgrey Wearenotislandsorsaintsorrenunciants orfrustratedmonksorfanaticordogmaticpeople tobeperfectlydetachedfromeverythingandfocusononly oneaspectoflife.Therearemanyaspectstothelivesof everyindividual.Doingjusticetoallresponsibilitiesmeans work-lifebalance.Jobsorbusinessesfillourpockets; adventuresfilloursouls.Therefore,havingahealthy balanceofentrepreneurshipandpersonallifeisofgreat importanceinthelivesofalmosteveryone.Although attainingperfectwork-lifebalanceintheultra-modern worldisnearlyimpossible,butreasonableamountofworklifebalanceinthelivesofprofessionalsandentrepreneurs isessentialforfunctioningefficientlyinthelongrun.
Althoughahealthywork-lifebalanceisdifferentfor everyone,theessentialaspectsofdoingjusticetotherole, routines,relationships,responsibilities,andresultsarethe vitalaspectsofahealthywork-lifebalancealmostfor everyone.Focusingtoomuchonbusinessresultsand ignoringimportantrelationshipswillnotbesustainable;we needtodiligentlybalancethedifferentaspectsoflife.We
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shouldhavethecapabilitiesofdeliveringgreatbusiness resultsandtheabilitytodojusticetoourrelationshipsin ourpersonallives.Weshouldnotbetoobusymakinga livingbybeingengagedinourjobsorbusinessesthatwe mayforgettomakealife.Businessleadersneedtobesmart enoughtobeabletobalancetheprofessionalandpersonal aspectsoftheirlives.
Planningworkactivitiesinsuchawaythatitwillnot hamperfitnessandfamilygoalsshouldbethepriorityof businessleaders.Theyshouldsetanexampleofleading balancedpersonalandprofessionallives.Theyshoulduse productivitytoolsformanagingtheirworkandlife.They shouldensurethattheyarenotneglectingtheotheraspect byfocusingonlyononeaspecttoomuch.Andtheyshould alsoensurethattheyarenotbecomingcomplacentintheir professionalresponsibilitiesinthenameofattainingworklifebalance.Makingefficientuseofavailabletimewillhelp businessleadersattainahealthywork-lifebalance.They shouldpracticesomemeditationtechniquesthatwill enhancetheirthoughtprocess,calmness,andabilitytodo thingsbalancedwithoutbeingoverreactive.
Respondingtosituationscalmly,wisely,andintelligentlyis asignofahealthywork-lifebalance.Astheysay,lifeis 10%whathappenstousand90%thewaywereacttoit. Businessleadersshouldhavetherightdispositionand positivementalattitudetorespondtotheeventualchallengesanddifferentsituations.
Ahealthywork-lifebalancegivesbusinessleaderstheedge tomakeprofitablebusinessdecisionsandenhances productivityatworkplaces.Takingsometimeofffrom workhelpsbusinessleaderstofunctionmoreeffectively andcreativelywhentheyarebacktowork.Besides, innovativenessgetsenhancedwithahealthywork-life balance.Infact,businessleadersshouldpromotetheculture ofhealthywork-lifebalanceintheemployeestobringout thebestinthemfororganizationalgrowth.
Learningtosaynotounnecessarythings,events,people alsoplaysasignificantroleinbalancingworkandlife.Itis equallyimportantforbusinessleaderstoknowwhattodo andwhatnottodo.Takingscheduledbreaksatregular intervalsisthemostimportantwork-lifebalanceelement.
Toconclude,physicalfitness,mentaltoughness,intellectual sharpness,spiritualcalmness,andbusinessacumenarethe mostimportantqualitiestobeasuccessfulbusinessleader, balancealltheaspectsoflifeveryjudiciously,andensurea healthywork-lifebalance.
Takinglivelessonsfromthecomfortofone'shome orofficeisnolongeradifficulttask.Leveragingthe opportunitytoofferclassesthroughalivevirtual classroomtoprofessionalsallaroundtheglobeisMarina Tognetti,whosecompanydeliverslivetutoringof45 languagesoverthenet.SheistheFounderandCEOof mYngle,aglobalqualitylanguagelearningplatform,one ofthepioneersinthefield.LessonsatmYnglearedelivered usingavirtualclassroom,atoolconsistingofVoIP combinedwithanintegratedwhiteboard.
BeforefoundingmYngle,Marinahadmorethan20yearsof experienceasaninternationalmanager,hadlivedin differentcountriesandlearnedsixlanguages,shetherefore knowsverywellthebenefitsofcommunicatinginanative language.ShewaspromptedtostartmYngleafterthe difficultiesshefacedwhiletryingtolearnChineseinaway thatcouldbecombinedwithherbusyjob.
AftergraduationMarinafoundherselfthrivinginanera whereentrepreneurshipwasnotverycommonfor academics,shedecidedthereforetofirstbuildasuccessful careerwithlargemultinationals.SheworkedatProcter& Gamble,Philips,SaraLee,TheBostonConsultingGroup, andeBayindifferentCountrieswhilealsopursuingher MBAfromINSEAD.
Marinawasworkingasaconsultantonaprojectoninternet strategywhenshefirstsawthepotentialoftheinternetto disruptentireindustriesandchangeforeverthewaythey buy/sell/interact.Thisexperiencewasthedrivertostartan innovativecompanylikemYngle,asMarinasawthe
possibilityofmakingarealdifferencewithit. Whenthecompanystarted,itwasamongthefirstto provideone-to-oneteachinginalllanguagesoverthe internet.NowCOVIDhascompletelychangedtheworldas weknowit,causingmajordisruptiontomanybusinesses.
Whilemanyofthetraditionalofflineplayershavebeen challengedbythissuddenshiftcaused,mYnglewasalready inthe'rightplace.'Itwasbuiltonmanyyearsofexperience andknowsthatmigratingexistingclassroomtraining programstodigitalisnotjusttheapplicationofexisting technologysolutions.Itrequiresamorefundamental rethinkingofthetotallearningexperience,fromtrainersto contenttotheblendedform.ThisiswheremYngleis makinganimpact,keepingaheadinthisdigital transformationbyconstantlyinnovatingandpursuingthe bestpossiblequalityandresults,educatingthemarketon thedifferencebetweenimprovisedsolutionsandyearsof expertise.
InmYngle,theteamnurturesanobsessionforcustomer satisfaction,whichisalsooneofthecompany'skey
is just what
been waiting for, language lessons that come to
strengths.Threeofitskeycorevaluesareinfactaround customers: Customer-centric, Commitment, and Excellence. Thepurposeistocontinuouslyimprovetheservice.The teamdoesitbyconstantlylisteningtousers'feedbackand improvingaccordingly,aswellasleveragingnew technologiestotheiradvantage.
Innovationisachievedbystimulatingacultureof experimentationandallowingmistakes.Innovationcannot existinacultureoffearofconsequences.Myngletriesto developpeoplethatthinkandnotonlydo"jobs."Marina looksforentrepreneursinthestaffthatjoinsmYngle, peoplewhodonotkeepthestatusquobutpushthemselves beyondtheircomfortzone.Sheisnotafraidoffailureand constantlyurgestheteamtoinnovate.
Thecompany'svisionistodisruptthetraditionalworldof educationbyprovidinghigh-quality,virtuallanguage educationatanytimeandplace.WithCOVID,allhas changed,andtheworldisembracingonlineeducation. Soonitwillbecomethenorm,settingthestandardsinterms ofqualityandflexibility.Thecompanyistryingtoleverage thisopportunityasitforecastedthefuturemuchbefore othersdid.
Customersarenowdiscoveringalltheadvantagesofvirtual educationcomparedtothetraditionalonesinaphysical classroom.Itoffersthesameresults,butwithsignificantly moreconvenience,withlessons24/7andflexible scheduling,andthepossibilityofbenefittingfromtheskills ofteachersthatarenotlocatedingeographicalproximity Thesebenefitsgobeyondtheshort-termlimitationsofthe lockdown,modernizingtheworldofeducation.
Theeducationindustryisnowgoingthroughsignificant changes.Morechangesaretobeexpectedshortly,likean increaseintheuseofbigdata,suchasstudents' achievementsandattentionratestopredicttheir performanceorcustomizetheirlearningexperience.
Augmentedrealityandvirtualrealitycanhelpthe classroombecomemoreinteractiveandimmersive,andthe useofAIcantailorlearningforeverystudent.Thisis somethingthatcouldchangethefutureofeducation. Marinashares, "For mYngle, this means that we need to keep innovating and pursuing the best possible quality and results, educating the market on the difference between improvised solutions and years of expertise to keep on being ahead in this digital transformation."
Marinabelievesthattheeducationindustrywasoperating intheoldtraditionalway,offeringlearnerswhatis available,notwhattheindustryneeds.But "One size does not fit all. I would like to change that," Marinasays. "Something we are doing at mYngle, one of our focus areas and key strengths. Online, of course, makes it easier to offer a much more personalized training and experience. By understanding the customer and diversifying our offer regarding teacher- content- frequency- technology solution, we can match each specific need."
Marinabelievesthattheintegrationofinformation technologyineducationwillbefurtheraccelerated,and onlineeducationwilleventuallybecomeanintegral componentofeducation.Thisshifttoonlinealsoopened thecompany'seyestothepotentialofthebroadertraining market,whichislessmaturethanlanguagelearningin termsofonlinesolutions.Thismeansthatthereisawindow ofopportunityhere,similartothatoflanguagelearning yearsago.
ThemostimportantadviceMarinawouldliketogivetoan aspiringentrepreneuristostopcomparing.Thestoriesthey readaboutthefewthat''gotitall''arerareexceptionsand oftennotthefulltruth.Theyneedtoletgoofthat."Let go of trying to imitate the types of leadership you see around but are not you and be true to yourself."Sheadds, "Don't look around for answers; look inside.”
Withathoughttoaddressthelong-overdue changeinthefitnessspace,Miranda
McCarthyfoundedAdaptiveYogaLIVEto includepeoplewithdisabilities.AdaptiveYogaisdesigned tomakeyogaaccessibletomorepeople;afreeonline seatedyogaclasswascreatedfortheDisabledcommunity inresponsetoCOVID-19.
Mirandaidentifiedtherootsoftheproblemastwo-fold: mostpeoplewithdisabilitiesareuncomfortableinfitness spaces,andthereisaseverelackofDisabledtrainersand coaches.
InspiredbytheworkofMiranda,InsightsSuccessreached outtoherandtalkedabouthowsheisaddressingthe criticalissuesandremovingobstaclesforDisabledpeople whoareallonthesamejourneyofself-discoveryandselfimprovement.
Below are the highlights of the interview: Whatchallengesyouhadtoovercometoreachwhere youaretoday?
Myjourneyasabusinessleaderhasalwaysbeenasoloone. IhavebeenDisabledsinceIwastwoyearsold,which meantItooktheroadlesstraveledand,asthepoemgoes, 'thathasmadeallthedifference.'
MychallengeoflivingwithchronicillnessmeantIhadto behomeschooledforlongperiods.Icouldn'tgetmy universitydegreebecauseIhadtoundergosurgeries,it meantthatjobopportunitieswerescarceasreasonable adjustments,suchasremoteworking,we'renotmade availableuntilonlyrecently.
IknewifIwantedtomakemywayintheworld,Iwould havetocreatemyopportunities.Fromdesigningjewellery, todesigningvirtualreality,tolaunchingayogacompany, mychallengeswereallmetinthesameway:withoutfear
andwiththesamedriveanddeterminationittakestowake upeverydayandovercomethebarriersoflivinginaworld thatdiscriminatesagainstyou.
TellussomethingmoreabouttheCompanyandits missionandvision.
Asaresultofthestigmaassociatedwithdisability,people withdisabilitiesaregenerallyexcludedfromeducation, employment,andcommunitylifewhichdeprivesusof opportunitiesessentialtooursocialdevelopment,health, andwellbeing.
Disabledpeoplefacebarriers,bothinternalandexternal, constantlytellinguswearelessthaneveryoneelse.Ina worldwherediscriminationagainstdisabilityis institutionalisedintheveryfabricofoursociety-canyoga reallyhelppeoplewithdisabilitiesfeelempowered?
Weremovethebiggestobstaclestowellbeingwithinthe Disabledcommunity:inactivity,stress,andloneliness, promotingdisabilityawarenessandeducation.Noone shouldsufferneedlessly,andnothingshouldstandinthe wayoftherighttobewell;physically,mentally,and socially
Enlightenusonhowyouhavemadeanimpactinthe industrythroughyourexpertiseinthemarket?
Thereare1.5billionDisabledpeopleontheplanet-that's thepopulationoftheEUandChinacombined.Oneinfive peopleareDisabled,andyet,theinequalityinsportand physicalactivityisstillaneverydayrealityformost Disabledpeople.
Yoga'sglobalpopularity,aswellasitsprovenbenefitsin termsofphysical,mental,andsocialdevelopment,makesit aperfecttoolforpromotingtheinclusionandwellbeingof
peoplewithdisabilities.Virtuallyanyyogaposecanbe madeaccessiblewhetherit'sdoneseated,lyingdown,or assisted.
Inmyownpersonalexperience,adaptiveyogaistheonly thingIhavefoundthatworkstoreducemychronicpain because,unlikephysiotherapy(whichjustusesmovement) yogaincorporatesevidence-basedinterventionssuchas mindfulness,meditation,anddiaphragmaticbreathing.
Describeindetailthevaluesandtheworkculturethat drivesyourorganization.
We'vetakenameritocraticapproachtofosterapositive culture.Weencourageopenandfrequentsharingof opinionsandideaswithoutfearofnegativeconsequences. Thereisasenseofkindnessandacceptance,anddiversity isembracedandrespected.Basedonempathy,itisaculture thatyoucannotonlyseebutoneyoucanfeel.
Supportive:Weexisttosupportourcustomersandeach other Individual:Wevalueeachother'sdifferences. Love:Welovethepeopleweserve. Integrity:Wedotherightthingevenwhennooneis watching.
Undeniably,technologyisplayingasignificantrolein almosteverysector.Howareyouleveraging technologicaladvancementstomakeyoursolutions resourceful?
Technologycontinuestoplayamajorroleforusallat AdaptiveYogaLIVE.
Havingadaptiveyogaclassesonlinemakesourservice moreaccessibleforDisabledpeoplebyremovingthe barrierstoparticipation,includingtimecommitment, transport,helpfromothers,highcostofgymorstudio membership,feelingsofsocialjudgement,andlackof accessiblefacilitiesandequipment.Youarenolonger dependentongeographicallocation,andyoucanjoinan adaptiveyogaclassontheothersideoftheworld,aslong asyouhaveaninternetconnection.
Teleworkingtechnologyhasallowedme,andtheother DisabledpeopleIworkwith,tocreateourtailor-made workspaceathome,takingintoconsiderationourindividual needs,whichisnotalwayspossibleinaphysicaloffice.We nolongerhavetonavigatethephysicalcommuteon inaccessibletransporttobuildingswithoutlifts,toilets,or step-freeaccesstodobusiness.
Assistivetechnologiessuchasspeech-to-textandscreenreadersoftwarealsomakecommunicatingforworkmuch smoother;forexample,Zoom'sautomatedclosed captioninghelpsthosewithhearingdisabilities.
Asafounderwithabackgroundintech,Iamvery interestedinemergingtechnologiessuchasvirtualreality (VR),InternetofThings(IoT)solutions,andartificial intelligence(AI)tohelpcreateanevenmoreflexibleand inclusiveworkenvironment.
What,accordingtoyou,couldbethenextbigchangein theindustry?Howisyourcompanypreparingtobea partofthatchange?
Oneofthebiggestshiftswe'reseeingisthatfitnessisgoing beyondachievingtheperfectbikinibody Themindsetof 'movementismedicine'isgrowingwithabigfocuson holisticfitnessprogramsandmind-bodypractices. Followingmultiplelockdowns,financialpressures,and generalstressfromlivingthroughapandemic,mental healthisakeyfocusinhealth.
Theeffectsoflongcovidmeantherewillbemillionsof survivorsleftDisabledbythedisease.Adaptiveyogahas beenproventobeasafe,feasible,andacceptableactivity forpeoplewithabroadrangeofcomorbidities.
Wearecurrentlyworkingwithdeliverypartnerssuchasthe UK'sNationalHealthServicetoprovideyogaandyoga therapyforpeoplewithchronicillnessanddisabilities withinaprimarycaresetting.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselftobeinthelongrun andwhatareyourfuturegoalsforthecompany?
Healthinequalitiesaregettingworse.Thepandemichas laidbaretheextentoftheglobalsocialcarecrisis.Ouraim istohelpboostthesocial,physical&emotionalwellbeing ofthosewhoarebeingdeniedthesupporttheyneed.We aimtobringAdaptiveYogaLIVEtothemostmarginalised communities,continuetolobbyforequalrightsfor Disabledpeopleandprovidedisabilityeducationtohelp eradicatethestigmaofdisabilityinsociety.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingwomen entrepreneurswhoaspiretoventureintotheindustry?
There'sagreatsayinginyoga"it'snotabouttouchingyour toes-it'saboutwhatyoulearnonthewaydown,"andthe sameistrueinbusinessbecause,everytimeyoufail,you learn,sodon'tbeafraid,befearless!
Womenhavealwaysbeenatthehelmofsocial transition.Fromuprisinganinternational agitationforclimatechangetoengineeringthe softwarealgorithm,womenleadershiphasasignificant shareinsocialtransformation.
MeetNermineKhouzamRubin,whoturnedthewheelof humanbarbarismtorejuvenatethelifeofAfricanpeople withwater,food,andhopewithher501(c)3non-profit ventureWater4Mercy.
AstheFounderandCEOofWater4Mercy,Nermine envisionsredefiningAfricanvillagesbyfacilitatingaccess towater,sustainablefarmingpractices,andquality agriculturaleducation,allbasedonasolidandfirm foundation.SheenvisionsexpandingWater4Mercytoall ofAfricaandbringingdignity,purpose,andeconomic empowermenttoitspeople.
PriortoWater4Mercy,Nerminehasheldvarious leadershippositionsinthehealthcareandITindustry.She hasanenrichedcorporateexperienceofBayfrontMedical Center,GreshamSmith&PartnersArchitects,Hospital CostConsultants,andTheThomsonCorporation.
Letusdiscoverhersocialentrepreneurialjourney!
Nerminereferstoherselfasabusinesswomanwitha significantsoftside.SheholdsanMBAandMHSandhas alsoheldexecutivepositionsinhealthcareovertheyears. Sheexpresses, "I'm grateful for these experiences as they enabled me to become Founder and CEO of Water 4 Mercy in 2018, the project that comes from my heart."
AtWater4Mercy,Nermineisfocusedonfacilitating humandignitywhileturningroadblocksintoopportunities. Talkingaboutchallenges,shementions,"Being from Egypt, I have seen deep poverty. I have seen how the cycles of poverty perpetuate and when people aren't empowered, they cannot break free of it. That is one of the reasons at the core of what Water 4 Mercy does."
Water4Mercyhelpsrestoredignityinthevillagesby providingeconomicsuccess,entrepreneurship,and educationopportunitiesinthefieldsofsolar,waterand agriculture.Nermine'sexperiencesandbackgroundhave alsohelpedprepareherfortheorganizations'challengesin raisingfunds,findingpartners,promotingawarenesswithin amultitudeofchannels,andgettingdonations.
Nerminestatesthataftermanymonthsofextensive researchandprayers,shewasinspiredtogettotherootof theproblemandpermanentlyendthirst,hunger,and poverty Water4Mercynowprovidescleanwater, agriculturaltechnologies,andmodernizededucational solutionstoremoteAfricanvillageswithateamof implementingpartnersthatincludeIsraeliNGO's InnovationAfrica,CultivAid,alongwithacoalitionthat sharethesameHEARTcomprisedofDonBoscoTechnical InstitutesofAfrica,TheIsraeliForeignMinistry,Start-Up NationCentral,TheSyngentaFoundationforSustainable Agriculture,EmbuCounty
Nermineiskeenonutilizingtechnologytoenableeasy accesstowater,food,andqualityeducation.Shenotes, "Water 4 Mercy was voted as one of the 'Most Disruptive Companies To Watch' by Technical Era, a magazine for tech executives that focuses on success stories. An honor? Yes, but it came through hard work, learning by doing, and surrounding myself with knowledgeable people. My ability to connect with organizations worldwide has led to the overwhelming success of Water 4 Mercy. Working with the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israeli NGO's, Don Bosco Technical Institute and others, we bring water to villages formerly stricken by drought. Water is the necessary first step which then enables us to provide 'miracle seeds' from Israel to create sustainable farming."
Water4Mercyisenablingthepoorestvillagesthathaveno meanstowatertohaveaccesstocleanwaterandgrowfood sothattheycanthriveindependently.It'snotjustaband-aid solutionofthrowingmoneyatthesituation,becausethe moneywilldryupalongwiththenextdrought.Nermine asserts, "Remember the adage of giving a man a fish vs. teaching him to fish? Our approach is a permanent solution to end poverty, thirst, and hunger."
Get as much education as possible, then follow your heart.
Withthesocio-economicempowermentofAfricanremote villages,Nermineteamofcontractorsutilizetechnological advancementtopropelsustainablefarmingandfacilitate educationaltraining.
NerminestatesthatthetechnologyhascontributedtoWater 4Mercy'ssuccess.Itreliesonitspartnerscreatingthemost advancedtechniquesinfindingwaterandsustainablesolar energyandfarming.WorkingwithHebrewUniversityin Israelanddeveloping'miracleseeds'thatproducemore outputwithlesswaterourteamisoriginatingcustom systemstoeducateandspreadIsraeliknowledge.
AtWater4Mercy,Nermineisfocusedonanalyzing changesinagriculturalinnovationanddiscoveringnew waysofaligningherorganizationswithfuture developments.
Talkingaboutthenextbigchangeintheindustry,shenotes, "We are strategically poised for major growth this year and next. Our successes in Africa are snowballing and will continue as long as donations, grants, etc., can keep up with it. Recently, we have developed Student Service Chapters of our organization where high school students can 'adopt a village' and raise funds. Educators love this program as it spreads empathy for all humans in their classrooms. Moreover, by planting the seeds in our youth, they may be inspired to work within the fields of solar, water and agriculture for the purpose of making a
difference in our world. That is what we see as the next big change - the next generations."
Water4Mercyplansitsprojectstobeself-sustainablefor generationstocome.Oneofitsmissionswithits AgriculturalInnovationandTechnologyCenters(AITeCs) isto"teachtheteacherstoteach."Iteducatesandempowers thevillagerstotheneducateandempowerthenext generation.Nerminebelievesthismodelwillhelpgrowthe villageinsideoutandcreateownershipoverthe opportunities.
Nermineismakingeffortswithmanyindustries,from improvingagriculturetotraining,education,and commerce.Shesays, "It's a long road, but I would like to change the perception of philanthropy. It's not enough to give them the 'tools', it is imperative to teach them to be autonomously using them."
Speakingaboutthecompany'sfuturegoals,shesays,"In four short years, Water 4 Mercy, along with our collaborators, has successfully relieved drought, hunger, and poverty in villages in Tanzania, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Our mission is to continue our process and turn Africa' green.'
Sheconcludes, "In the next four years, and years to come, I see all of our water and agriculture projects being selfsustaining, villages flourishing with drip irrigation, and technical schools training up the brightest and best talent all across the continent.”
Nermine Khouzam Rubin Founder & CEO Water 4 Mercy, INC.
Weliveinaworldfilledwithtremendous distractionsateverymoment.Thereare distractionsintheformofdiversionsfromour mostcherishedgoals.Thesediversionsordistractionscan beduetodistractingpeopleordistractinginformation.We shouldmakesurethatwearealwayschoosingpositiveand upliftingassociationsaroundus.Itisveryimportant, especiallyforbusinessleaders,tomaintainasafedistance fromenviousandinsecurepeoplewhodonotsupporttheir goals.
Thereisalsoahugeoverloadofinformationintheworld. Havingaccesstoonlythenecessaryinformationisan importantpartthathelpsinmakingcleverbusiness decisions.Itisessentialtofilteroutalltheavailable informationandmakesurethatwerefertothemost authorizedandessentialinformation.
Theworldisfilledwithamassiveamountofdata; therefore,itisabsolutelyimportanttoknowwhattoread andwhatnottoread.Theinformationdoesnothavetobe alwaysnewtobehelpfulbutwhatmattersishavingtimely accesstothemostimportantinformation.
Itmattersthatweareselectiveinchoosingeverything carefullyinthisworld.Thereisabsolutelynopointin wastingtimewithpeoplewhodepleteourpreciousenergy andwillpower Weshouldnotwasteourtimefighting wrongbattles.Ifwewastetimeinfightingthewrong battles,wewillbeleftwithverylittleenergyforourmost importantbattlesorgoals.Weneedtoutilizeourtimeand fightingspiritforourmostimportantgoalsorbattles.To accomplishanythingsubstantialinthisworld,weneedto paythepriceofoursincereeffortsandcommitment.
Nothingismoredangerousinthisworldthansincere ignoranceandconscientiousstupidity.Sincereignoranceof notknowingwhatisrightandwhatiswrongisnotatall helpfulinmakinginformedandcleverdecisions. Conscientiousstupiditybasedonemotionalorinstinctive, orirrationalapproachtowardsdecisionmakingisfatal.The weightofregretisheavierthanpayingthepriceofsincere efforts.Rightassociationandaccesstotherightinformation helpustotakebrilliantdecisions.Weshouldnotmakeany roomforregretsbybeinghaphazardorinconsistent approach.Mindingourownresolutionstobesuccessfulin thisworldismoreimportantthananythingelse.
Scienceisorganizedknowledge,andwisdomisorganized life.Organizedlifeandhavinganorganizedapproachin businessispraiseworthy,andithelpsyouinmakingwise choices.Havingwell-organizedsystemsthatdeliver consistentresultsisalsoessentialforthesustainablegrowth ofthebusiness.Thoseleaderswhocreateorganized systemsintheirbusinessesareabletoensuresustainable successintheirbusinesses.Anorganizedapproachismany timespleasingtotheclients,anditbecomesanimportant factorinthegrowthofthebusiness.
Themostimportantattributeoforganizedbusinessleaders istheirabilitytotaketherightdecisionsbasedonthe authorizedinformationandinputsfromintelligentadvisors inthebusiness.Theorganizedbusinessleadersarenever haphazardorirrationalintheirapproach.Theyknowthatan instinctiveorirrationalapproachisdetrimental.They believeintakinglogical,analytical,rational,andcalculative decisions.Suchdecisionsleadtothemostconstructive actionsandconstructiveresults.Theytakedecisionsbased onthecognitive-intensivethoughtprocess.Theyprefer thinkingdeliberatelyandactingontheconclusionofmost logicalthought.Thatisthemostprecise,clever,and pragmaticapproachtodecision-making.
Anorganizedapproachandwisechoiceshelpleaderstobe abletoruntheirbusinessintherightdirectionandwiththe rightapproach.Thisway,theyareabletotakethebusiness togreatheights..
Theorganizedbusinessleadersarenotcomplacentintheir approach.Theyleadwithcalmnessandalertnessofmind. Theytrytheirlevelbesttoleadwithdiscipline,consistency, andwiththerightmindset.Theymakesurethattheyarenot givingintonegativedistractions.Theyneverget bewilderedbytheillusoryordestructiveopinionsofothers orwronginformation.Theseleadersplantheiractionswell andexecutewithutmostperfection.Theypromotetheright cultureintheirteammembersandbuildtheteamwith adequatetalents,skills,abilities,andresourcefulness.They havethecouragetoleadbytakingcalculativerisksand executegraceevenunderpressuresituationsortoughtimes. Theorganizedbusinessleadersaredecisiveandleadwith pragmatismandpresenceofmind.Thisapproachhelps themtodrivethesustainablegrowthoftheirbusinesses.
Asoftwaretesterbychoice,SumanBalahasproved thevalueofatestingcareerandhasbrought substantialvaluetotheprofessionofsoftware testers.
WhenSumanstartedhercareerin2006aftercompletinga degreeincomputerscience,shewastoldbythe EngineeringManagerthatsheshouldbeadeveloperjust becauseshecouldwritecode. "Software Testing wasn't seen as a skilled job, and I wanted to change that mindset," she notes.Shedecidedtocarveacareerpathinthefieldof testingtoshowthevalueofitandhowitbringsqualityto theentireteam.
Shehasnowbeencoachingteamsontechnicaltesting, automationbestpractices,andstrategiesforoveradecade. Sheexpresses: "It makes me happy to see how people's perspectives have changed throughout my career and now teams' value that 'quality' is everyone's responsibility.”
Currently,SumanisservingastheLeadTestArchitectat easyJet,oneofEurope'sleadingairlines,withitsDataDrivenapproachtoTechnology.
SumanmovedfromIndiatotheUKin2014.Despiteher vastexperienceinsoftwaretesting,shedidn'tfeel comfortablesharingherknowledgeoutsidetheteams becauseshehasastrongIndian-speakingaccent.Soon,she realizedthatshewasnottheonlyonefacingthesebarriers,
andshewantedtoplayherparttoimprovethediversityand influenceotherunder-representedgroups.Shewantedto takethisforwardandfeelsstronglyabouttheneedtoshare herskillsparticularlywithwoman,whoare underrepresentedintheindustry.Sumanthentookthestep toimmerseherselfwithinthetestingcommunity Today,she isamentortovarioustesterswithineasyJetandworldwide testingcommunities.
Sumanhasbeennominatedformultipleawardcategories; WomeninTechExcellenceAwards,FDMWomenAwards, WomeninIT,UKAwards,Woman@Sky,mentorofthe year,testingmanageroftheyear,arolemodeloftheyear, techforeveryone–champion,makingthedifference, behindthesceneswonders,changingthegamejusttoname afew.Thebarriersonlyexistedinherhead;itwaseasyto keepgoing.
TakingaboutthelessonslearnedSumanmarks, "We all are superheroes with different powers. Don't let your imposter syndrome push you down; instead, use this as a driving force to move it forward. Be the change you want to see in the world." NomatterhowbusySumanis,shealwaysfinds timetohelptestersacrosstheworldandshareher knowledge.
Alongsideherday-to-dayjob,Sumanisco-deliveringa softwaretestingBootcampinpartnershipwithWest YorkshireCombinedAuthority.Theprojectaimstomake
techeducationmoreaccessible,createcareeropportunities forpeopleinunder-representedgroups,andclosethedigital skillsgapforlocalbusinesses.Over50%ofthoselearners arefemale,andalargecontingentcomesfromtheBAME community,withanemphasisonusingthisprojectto promotegreaterdiversityandequalitywithinthelocaltech industry.Sheishonoredtocoachandmentorsuchadiverse groupofpeople.SomeofthelearnersfromtheBootcamp havealreadystartedtheircareersintestingandSumanis proudtobepartoftheirjourney.Sheisexcitedtoseewhere thelearner'scareerprogressioninthecomingfuture.
Givingbacktothecommunityandmakinganimpacton people'scareersiswhatkeepsSumangoing.Shehopesto inspiremorewomenofcolortojoinacareerintech.
TalkingaboutthevaluesateasyJet,Sumanmentionsthatits purposeistoseamlesslyconnectEuropewiththewarmest welcomeinthesky Thecompanyputsthecustomeratthe heartofeverythingitdoestoensurethis.
WeaskedSuman,ifgivenachance,whatchangeshewould liketobringtotheindustry,towhichshesaid, "Our customers are diverse, so our products and teams should be diverse too. I would like to bring more people with diverse backgrounds and experiment with new ideas and technologies. I would also like to build a culture of "Embrace Learnings" because I truly believe we never fail; we learn instead!”
TakingaboutthefutureSumanstatesthatshewouldliketo bethecorepartofbuildingtheCentreofqualityexcellence ateasyJet.Sheabsolutelylovescoachingabouttestingand qualitytoanyonewhowantstogetintotech.
Moreover,shewouldliketostartthesoftwaretesting academyatEasyJetsoitcanopenthedoortotechtoa diversegroupofpeopleandensureitisbuildingthe productsforthefuture.
Sumanadvisesaspiringwomenentrepreneursinthetech sectortoprioritisetherightthings,includingthemselves. Sheexpressesthatitisnevertoolatetostartacareerin tech.Shesays, "You can be anything you set your mind to.”
Sumanfirmlybelievesinthepowerofmentorstomakea positivedifference.Sheadvisesthem,"Firstly, find yourself a mentor! Having a mentor is the best thing you will do to your career. Make a 5-year plan with multiple milestones.”
"Secondly, get involved in the wider tech community. I have friends I have made, both in real life and online, from all around the world through my time in software testing, and that has been so helpful in building my reputation in the testing community especially, during the difficulties of lockdown. You can learn so much from the community and lean on them to help you achieve your goals — and once you have, don't forget to give back," Sumanconcludes.
Mpreparednessneedsofindividuals,corporations, institutions,governments,andauthorities, SusanneSkovDiemerfoundedPraesidioGrouptoallow herclientstofocusonwhattheydothebestwithpeaceof mind.
itigatingriskstosolvethesecurityand
AstheCEO,SusanneSkovDiemerimplementsher expertisetodemocratizeherthreedecadesofexperienceat thehighestleveloftheconsulting,security,crisisand
Susanne Skov Diemer
intelligencesector.Shehasgatheredcrucialknowledge, know-how,experience,expertiseaswellaspersonal anecdotesandrecommendations,whichsheexhibitsinthe crisisplanner "Your Urban Crisis Survival Planner" to contribute,guide,andservepeopleglobally.Readersare guidedstep-by-steptogreaterawareness,knowledgeand preparationwithasenseofresponsibilityandtogetherness.
AstonishedbythefeatsachievedbySusanneSkovDiemer, InsightsSuccessreachedouttoherandtalkedabouther journeyandhowPraesidioGroupissourcingtheoptimal teamtomeettheworld´sandclients'needs.
Briefouraudienceaboutyourjourneyasabusiness leaderuntilyourcurrentpositionatthePraesidio Group.Whatchallengesyouhadtoovercometoreach whereyouaretoday?
Withalongjourneywithinconsulting,security,risk managementandintelligencearoundtheglobe,ithasbeen anexciting,daring,andorganicprocess.Itisalifepath,as workinginmyfieldismoreofadutyandacallratherthan acareerchoice.Thisspecialsenseofdutyisalwayswith me,andthereisnothinginthisworldthatIwouldratherdo.
Iseekimpact,asIfacechallenges.Iamonamissionto democratizemyknowledgeandexpertisetohelpandguide morepeopletobebetterpreparedandherebyminimize crises'dominoeffects.
TellussomethingmoreaboutthePraesidioGroupand itsmissionandvision.
Itisallaboutpreparedness.Mitigation.Trust.Vigilance.It isabouthavingthecouragetobethevoiceof the inconvenient truth Weareheretoserveandprotect.My purposeistoguideandraisethebarforsecurityandcrisis preparedness.Iworkundertheradarinorderforothersto liveontheradar.
Enlightenusonhowyouhavemadeanimpactinthe industrythroughyourexpertiseinthemarket?
Moreawareness-moreimpact.Iservewiththehighest degreeofrespect,integrityanddiscretion.Itisneverabout me.Itisaboutthepeople,thepurpose,andthemission.
Thenatureoftheindustryistoworkcloselyanddiligently withadiversevarietyofplayersandfactorsthatare borderlessandconstantlychanging.Currently,thereis
muchtalkabouttheworldbeingmorepolarized.Whenwe workonacrisismatter,weworkcloselyinunityandcross border,sector,belief,andstatus.Weworkforahigher purposetogether Anditisthistogethernessthatmakesit special-theactofjoiningandcomingtogether
Describeindetailthevaluesandtheworkculturethat drivesyourorganization.
Respect.Agenuinerespectasafoundationwithout judgment.Anopennessandclosecollaborationwithpeople fromallfields,nationalities,andsegments.
Discretion,confidentiality,andtrustarethepillarsand natureofourfieldandaconstantcompanionintheformof astrongsenseofduty.Alwaysoncall.Alwaysona mission.Alwaysprepared.Weworkwithasenseof privilege,duty,andresponsibility.Weserve.Thatisour foundation.
Undeniably,technologyisplayingasignificantrolein almosteverysector.Howareyouleveraging technologicaladvancementstomakeyoursolutions resourceful?
Withtechnologycomesnewadvantages–andnewrisks thatneedtobeaddressed.Therearehumansbehindthe technologyandtheinteractionwiththetechnology.So technologyhasaveryhumanaspect.
Weanalyzeattheentiresupplychain–notjustthe technology.Witheverytechnologicaladvancement, criminalsmakeadvancementstoo.Thecoreremainsthe same;topredict,toprotect,topreparewithnewandold tools-technologicalandnontechnological.
Delivering optimal security, intelligence & cyber solutions to corporations, NGO's, governments and public & private sectors around the world.
Newthreatsevolvewithtechnology,andweseetechnology bringingourcriticalinfrastructureincriticaldanger.For example,acashlesssocietycanbeattackedinnewways. Criminalshavenewentrances,newmarketsandnew opportunities.Awarenesssurroundingthisand preparednessandresourcesarenecessary.
Ifgivenachance,whatchangewouldyouliketobring intheindustry?
Morecouragetobethevoiceof the inconvenient truth and moreopennesstowardssecurityandintelligenceexperts' voicesandknowledge.Weareheretoservethepeople, governments,andcompanies.Weareaninsurance-an essentialtooltoavoidandmitigatesmallandlargecrises, globallyaswellaslocally
What,accordingtoyou,couldbethenextbigchangein theindustry?Howisyourcompanypreparingtobea partofthatchange?
'Neverletagoodcrisisgotowaste,'WinstonChurchill famouslysaid,aphrasethathasgainednewrelevancewith theglobalpandemic.Peoplehaveanewawarenessofcrises andtheirdominoeffects.Weknowfromexperiencethatthe
besttimetoprepareforacrisisiswhenyouhavejustbeen throughone.Sonowisthetimetoprepare.Weneedtotake responsibilityatalllevelsandinallaspectsnow Individuallyandcollectively.Locallyandglobally.My industrycanleadthewayandguidepeopletobetter preparedness,tomitigateandraiseabovethecurrentcrisis, andthrivetogetherforabetter-preparedworldandpeople.
Wheredoyouenvisionyourselftobeinthelongrun andwhatareyourfuturegoalsforthecompany?
Beingasecurityspecialistisadutyforlife.Iwillalways serve.Todayandtomorrow
Mycompanyistheessenceofme,andwewillcontinueto prepareandprotectpeople,assetsandinformationtothe verybestofourknowledgewiththebiggestimpactforthe longandshortterm.Itisalwaysaboutpreventionand preparednessonapracticalandmentallevel.Wewill continuetobroadenourexpertiseasnewrisksariseand workgloballywithmanypartners,projects,andpurposes whileraisingawareness.
Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingwomen entrepreneurswhoaspiretoventureintotheindustry?
"Neversellyourselfshort."Respectyourselfaswellas others.Beyourselfatalltimeswitheverybodyandinall situationsandlocations.Onestepatatime,oneassignment andclientatatime-withthehighestexpertise,purpose, andintegrity.
